Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka stressed that the team’s front-office has a "backup plan" in the event that they lose this year’s lottery pick to the Philadelphia 76ers. He added, regardless of their chance of landing another top-3 pick this year, the Lakers are hell-bent on improving the caliber of the roster this offseason.
Perfect attack plan
Pelinka hinted that the Lakers plan to be an aggressive player in the upcoming NBA Draft, especially if they retain their high pick at the conclusion of May 16th draft lottery. Los Angeles still owes Philadelphia a first-round pick after they acquired no.2 overall picks back-to-back.
Apparently, the Lakers are still paying the price for trading two first-round picks to Phoenix in exchange for Steve Nash in 2012. The Sixers then acquired the pick from the Suns in a three-way trade with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2015.
According to NBA insiders, the Lakers are targeting several big-name prospects such as UCLA’s Lonzo Ball, Washington’s Markelle Fultz and Kansas’ Josh Jackson. There’s also a high possibility of packaging the top-3 pick to land an established superstar like Paul George, who is reportedly targeting a move to LA once his current contract with the Indiana Pacers expires in 2018.
“If we get the lottery balls to bounce our way, yes, we have a great attack plan for the draft,” Pelinka said in an interview with ESPN’s Baxter Holmes.
Keeping the young Corps intact
Mark Medina of Los Angeles Daily News reported that the Lakers front office is still very much committed to their young corps. Lakers president of basketball operation Magic Johnson is expected to infuse the team with much-needed firepower, offensively and defensively, without disrupting the young group of players (D’Angelo Russell, Jordan Clarkson, Julius Randle and Brandon Ingram).
The Lakers finished the season with 26-56 slate, but their young guns definitely showed a lot of promise. Johnson has been consistent since his arrival in the Lakers front office that he will never compromise the growth of his young team unless a huge offer comes in.
Ingram set for Kobe Bryant’s One-on-One Camp
Aside from asking Ingram to bulk up from his 6-foot-9, 190-pound frame, Magic and Pelinka also advised the no.
2 overall pick to workout with Kobe Bryant this summer. The Lakers executives believe Ingram could benefit a lot from the experience of seeing Bryant work first hand. Magic is confident Ingram will not only learn how to pick his spots but also absorb the mental toughness of the Black Mamba.
